In addition to pumpkins being the perfect fall decoration as they transition from Halloween spookiness to Thanksgiving cheer, they also make for some great learning with STREAM. Take your child to the grocery store or pumpkin patch to pick out their favorites to use. Here are some great ways to include pumpkins and STREAM activities at home this fall!
Science: Make Salt Crystal Pumpkins with your preschooler – don’t worry, it’s easy! You will need iodized salt, small decorative pumpkins, water, a small pot and a plate. Simply boil a pot of water and add enough salt so crystals form on the surface of the water – it will look like a sheet of ice. Remove the water from the heat, place your pumpkins onto the plate and pour the salt water over the pumpkins, making sure the salt on the bottom of the pot is left on top of each pumpkin. Set the plate in a dry location and wat a few days for the water to completely evaporate. Once dry, examine the remaining crystals on the pumpkin with your little one, compare the differences!
Technology: The ‘Starfall Pumpkin Halloween’ is a great app to safely make jack-o-lanterns with your children, not to mention avoid the mess. It includes learning through measuring, coloring, counting and more!
Reading & Engineering: There are tons of pumpkin themed books out there for you to read with your little ones. The Legend of Spookley The Square Pumpkin is a story about a square pumpkin. This story not only teaches young children some valuable life lessons, but also welcomes the opportunity to enhance with a hands-on activity with some Legos or blocks! After reading the story, have your little one build their own square pumpkins using different shapes, sizes and colors.
Art: If you’re like most parents of preschool-aged children, you may not be too excited about cutting into a pumpkin with your child close by. While pumpkin carving can be fun for older children, choosing non-carving crafts may be a better option. You can incorporate stickers and paint and decorate your pumpkins with spooky shapes.After Halloween has come and gone, you can head out to find new pumpkins or simply remove the decorations from Halloween crafts. For thanksgiving pumpkins, you can cut out paper feathers and heads to make turkeys. Paint is also a great way to add wings and a beak.
Math: Cut open a pumpkin and have your toddler help you scoop out the seeds. Before you clean them up, have your child touch them and mush them, this is a great sensory experience even though it gets messy! Once they’re clean, have your little one then count and sort the seeds. You can even use them to make slime, add to a water bottle with water and glitter for a discovery bottle, dye them with vinegar and food coloring or cook them up for a delicious snack!
